Continuing on its acquisition spree, KLA-Tencor has entered into an agreement to acquire the inspection business unit of Vistec Semiconductor Systems. Meanwhile, the acquisition expands KLA-Tencor's product portfolio. Vistec's advanced mask metrology tools for registration metrology are among the leading products in this area. Other Vistec products include macro defect-inspection systems, overlay-measurement systems for MEMS applications, and software packages for defect classification and data analysis.

Infineon Technologies is examining the options of either selling all or part of its 77% stake in Qimonda, Infineon chief executive Peter Bauer said. In an interview with Sueddeutsche Zeitung's weekend edition, Bauer said: 'We are speaking currently with financial investors and interested companies from the branch regarding a sale.'

A typhoon packing wind gusts of up to 191 kph and forecast to dump up to a metre of rain in places was on course to hit Taiwan on Monday morning, prompting cancellation of work and market closures.

Applied Materials (AMAT) has seen recent slippage of project schedules in its solar business “nearly across the board,” according to Citigroup analyst Timothy Arcuri. Applied has built a new business around supplying tools used to manufacture thin-film solar cells, and expectations for the business are running high. Maybe too high, in Arcuri’s view.